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About us

The HR Dept Edinburgh & the Lothians provides employment law and human resources support and services to small & medium sized businesses just like yours. Experienced HR Professional, Ian Pilbeam, heads up the HR Dept Edinburgh & the Lothians Team. Ian and his team are described by a HR Dept customer as:

‘refreshingly straightforward advisors of all things HR related’

‘so much better than the call centres we have used in the past’

What do you want to see from your HR support? PRACTICAL, PRAGMATIC, LOCAL & PERSONAL? This is us. If you need help with anything to do with employing people, we can help.

We can help you in preventing people problems. Our services cover everything to do with employing people and will help you prevent people problems or resolve problems when they do occur:

HR Consultancy

Employment law

Auto Enrolment

Contracts of employment

Disciplinary and grievance

Performance management

Training and development

Absence management

Appraisals Process

Redundancy management

TUPE transfers

Employee satisfaction surveys

Employee Counselling

Staff Discounts

Health and Safety

Would you like to feel confident that you’re doing all your HR correctly and in the best interests of your business? A HR Audit brings a fresh pair of eyes to how your business handles HR and signposts the way to delivering success through your people.

Looking for training and development to upskill yourself and your staff? Our programme of HR workshops, Health and Safety training and management development is tailored to SMEs and runs throughout the year and across the region. We’re also happy to discuss the development and delivery of bespoke training programmes. Call 0131 297 7545 to find out more.

We are Business Gateway’s HR Expert in East Lothian – you can apply for free HR consultancy if you are a new or existing business based in East Lothian. Find out how to access this excellent free service by clicking here.

Great HR service for small business
Ian and his team have been really valuable to us in managing our team, they have helped us through some difficult challenges and ensured all of our documents are up to a high standard.

Ali Gower

Excellent advice

Kerr Simpson

HR Dept - a fantastic partner
The quality of the support from HR Dept is second to none. They take the time to get to know your organisation, which means they can give a bespoke service. They have gone above and beyond to offer support to our member organisations who have benefited immensely from having direct access to professional HR advice made easy to understand and implement.

Aileen Tulloch

he team I refer my clients to when they need pragmatic HR advice
When people problems emerge in a business it can be a massive drain, be that financial, emotional or time, and at these moments you need an Ian Pilbeam and The HR Dept! I know a number of businesses who have employed Ian and his team to help them through situations and their calmness and extensive knowledge, coupled with a good dose of humour, has been the ideal solution each time. But don't just go to The HR Dept when an awkward situation crops up. Ian's tag line is "Preventing People Problems" so they'll help you get your HR policies and procedures in good order.

Alan Smith

Excellent Professional Service
Excellent Professional Service From everyone we have dealt with at HR Dept with a special mention to Ian Pilbeam and John-Paul Devine who have supported us in the last year. Highly recommend HR Dept to any company who wants a professional quality service that delivers what they say the will.

Euan Hall, Managing Director, ETS Ltd

Very Impressed
Ian and his team have been a great asset to our company. Training, hand books and all advice has been first class. No hesitation in recommending the HR Dept to others.

Mitchell Glass

Excellent associate
The HR Dept is always there for referral when my clients need to fill that gap between looking after their staff and professional advice. Ian and his team have been very helpful and it gives added value from my firm to be able to recommend local, friendly and expert advice.

MRS CHRISTA CAMERON

Excellent pro service.

Great service and value from the company. On the occasions we have need to be in contact they have been very quick and professional to assist and guide. A must for a small business.

Paul A

HR Dept deliver! Good advice, when it's needed.
I'm delighted to say my experience of hr dept has been a terrific asset to my business since I signed up with Ian Pilbeam a couple of years back. Not just emergency help but also a great strength in developing and future proofing the whole employment side of our business. I'd wholeheartedly recommend HR Dept to anyone looking for help with their company HR and employee management function. It's a no-brainer in my book.

Chris Young

Ian was very knowledgable and professional in the way all HR matters were handled.

John Davidson

Training with Ian at the HR Dept. is an absolute pleasure and the interactive nature of the courses and seminars I have attended have been the perfect format for me to take away great advice and knowledge from each session, meeting great people from extremely different business backgrounds but who share similar issues in their day to day lives

Claire Wishart

All businesses need to have HR Dept as part of their team. Cannot recommend Ian highly enough

Emma

HR Dept are a real trusted component of our business , they bring real expertise and practical advice to living situations which require fast responses. Don't hesitate to get them on your team

Trevor Geraghty

The HR Dept has provided excellent service - available when needed, and sound advice leading to pragmatic solutions.

John Stuart

I am very happy to recommend The HR Department to other small businesses needing HR support. The team is very approachable and friendly and having someone on-hand to assist with personnel issues and give advice and support is an invaluable help for a small business.

Catherine Franks

I often hear people complain about how difficult it is to manage staff and keep them all pointing in the right direction especially when neither party seems aligned in goals and expectations. We have been there, so I can recommend Ian and his team wholeheartedly. They will reduce your legal risks and ensure that you are following HR best practices for taking care of one of your most important assets, your staff.

Ally Hollins-Kirk

We have been working with Ian and his team over the last six months to complete a restructure after buying out a business and I can honestly say they are more than a simple HR consultant, they have become a valued member of our team, albeit on an ad-hoc basis. They spent time learning our business, our goals and offered 1st class support to help us achieve them. It really feels like we have our own HR team in the business who are there when you need them, ready to help and advise but at a fraction of the overhead cost.

Alan Sanderson, Electrical Testing Services Limited

We asked for support from the HR Department as our company moved into employing salaried staff. We wanted to make sure we got this "right". Ian and his colleagues were knowledgeable and approachable and gave us clear information and documents to make sure we met all legal requirements. What we appreciate in the HR Department is being able to meet someone local and knowledgeable who makes time to answer any questions, however small. This leaves us feeling confident that we haven't missed anything that could cause us problems.

Helen Forrester, Play Therapy Base

Ongoing advice from the HR Dept has given us the confidence to manage and grow our team, secure in the knowledge that our HR practices are up to date and comply with legislation. Knowing that I can call the HR Dept for advice whenever we have an issue gives me peace of mind to concentrate on making great chocolate instead of worrying about HR matters. We never expected to grow our team this big and managing people is one of the most difficult parts of our job, I highly recommend the HR Dept’s services if you run a small business and have a team to look after.

Alastair Gower, Chocolate Tree

The free session was invaluable: as the Chair I received quality advice without the need to get financial approval from the Trust in advance. The session at the DTAS conference was very informative and Ian made the HR simple and straightforward for a non- HR professional like myself to understand. It enabled me to complete my report with recommendations to the Trust. The additional employment support requested was delivered very promptly and has enabled us to deal fully with the issue that we had. I feel very positive about my experience dealing with the HR Dept and look forward to working together in the future for the benefit of WAT If? and our community.

Ian is a true expert in in providing first rate service and hands on support to small and medium sized businesses on human resources and employment law. Ian has the unique ability to make complicated issues uncomplicated and straightforward. Ian and his team is a necessary and cost effective service to ALL SME’s that needs HR support, keeping you safe and legally compliant. Prevention is better than cure. Having personally worked with Ian and his team, they are very friendly, approachable and present.

Miles Duncan, LinkedIn Expert Trainer

I did not fully appreciate just what an outstanding HR provider could bring to small business till I met Ian. I have been working with Ian for nearly a year now and have seen and heard first hand the level of customer service he provides for his clients - it is nothing short of outstanding.

Any clients or contacts I have looking for an HR professional to help them, whether it be tacking an HR issue or putting in place robust HR solutions, I send them straight to Ian. I have every confidence in Ian and his team dealing with situations swiftly and taking the pressure off the business owner from the first call.

Ian comes with my highest recommendation. If you need help with HR in your business Ian and his team at The HR Dept are the ones to go to.

Ewan Menzies Owner, Castle Strategy

When we encountered HR issues and needed expert help, we looked at two options: a major call centre provider and the HR Dept. Fortunately we chose right. Not only did we avoid being tied into a long contract, but by choosing Ian and the HR Dept we found a local provider who took the time to get to know our business and personally took responsibility for helping us resolve our problem. This was done quickly, at low cost, and we had great peace of mind in knowing that our interests were being looked after and that the advice we were getting was technically correct and tactically savvy. We now have an ongoing relationship with the HR Dept who keep us up to date on employment issues and we know that we can get high quality advice quickly whenever we need it. Highly recommended!

Sabrina Malpede, Owner, Smar-Azure Ltd

We recently enlisted the services of The HR Dept to tighten up our employment contracts and contractor agreements. We were delighted with the nature of the initial discussion, and quickly found Ian to be very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. During the process Ian made some excellent suggestions that we’d never have thought of, and just made it all feel so easy. The end result was an excellent, thorough and in depth suite of contracts. Not only that, but now we’re working together in the Auto Enrolment process - and making that seem easy too! We would have no hesitation in recommending the services of Ian and The HR Dept, an absolute pleasure to work with.

Dan Hay, Director, Alliance Creative

Ian has been extremely valuable as an expert who I can refer to my clients to, to ‘fill the gap’ of HR issues and guidance. He has jumped in for urgent guidance on a number of occasions and also offers a reliable on-going service. It means I can add value to my own practice by giving a referral to my clients for help with the increasingly difficult field of employment. I trust Ian and his team to look after my clients to the same standard I strive for.

Christa Cameron ACA, Accountant

When people problems emerge in a business it can be a massive drain, be that financial, emotional or time, and at these moments you need The HR Dept! I know a number of businesses who have employed The HR Dept to help them through situations and their calmness and extensive knowledge, coupled with a good dose of humour, has been the ideal solution each time. But don't just go to them when an awkward situation crops up. Ian from The HR Dept's tag line is "Preventing People Problems" so he'll help you get your HR policies and procedures in good order. A true professional.

Alan Smith, Business Coach, Action Coach

We have hugely appreciated working with Ian and The HR dept. It has given our organisation a reassurance and confidence in approaching HR issues and questions within our organisation.

Ian was always available and responded quickly and efficiently. Ian has a wonderful manner and he listens but is not afraid to speak plainly when required. The service he provides is bespoke and certainly suits the needs of our organisation suitably.

We look forward to continuing our working relationship with Ian at The HR dept. I cannot recommend Ian Pilbeam and The HR Dept highly enough. He has certainly transformed our HR needs within our organisation and filled our management with confidence.

Thank you

Joanne Friend, Vice Chair, First Step Management Committee

We have found Ian Pilbeam to be an excellent asset to our business. His attitude towards HR is in alignment with our company ethos of fairness and flexibility. We aim to retain our staff through good but fair policies and treating our people with respect. Ian does this and more keeping us right every step of the way. I would highly recommend Ian and The HR Dept.

Roddy Forfar, Managing Director, Aquarius Contact Centres (UK) Ltd

Ian Pilbeam is a refreshingly straightforward advisor of all things HR related. He has helped me through a minefield of issues this summer with very practical advice and guidance at a very reasonable fee and it is clear he has built a wealth of experience and skill over the years working in this field.

His passion for getting to the best solution for all parties and treating employment challenges in as human a way as possible ensures the positive results he achieves are lasting. He has now worked with me on a large range of challenges but also on improving the sustainability of my business employment success through refining existing policy and contracts.

I have no reservations in highly recommending his services to anyone with employees.

Chris Young, Managing Director, Taurus Gardening

I’ve known Ian for a good number of years both as a client of and advisor to TCMO. The HR Dept team and Ian in particular always offer commercially focussed HR advice which works ‘plain english’ solutions from the legalities and complexities of the law in a pragmatic and practical way. So much better than the online/call centre providers we have used before. I’ve no hesitation in recommending Ian and his team.

Rob Moore, Managing Director, The Career Management Organisation

Ian has helped us transform our HR function and make the transition from a small charity. He has helped increase our professionalism whilst being sensitive to the ethos of our organisation and the sector in which we operate. We have been able to develop a consistent approach to a more complex environment whilst retaining a family friendly working environment.

Cheryl Brown. Chief Executive, Midlothian Sure Start

I contacted Ian Pilbeam with an HR issue which was causing us serious concern. Ian quickly reviewed the sensitive situation and with his advice and within a very short time scale the matter was resolved without any recourse to ourselves.

Clearly, Ian has considerable experience in HR and has the benefit of being part of The HR Dept with the added value that they can offer. I would have no hesitation in recommending businesses liaise with Ian on any HR issues.

Kerr Simpson, Partner, Peter Graham & Partners

Ian has a breadth and depth of HR knowledge and a clear sense of how HR strategies and practices shape and help deliver organisational needs. His open style fosters a great team spirit and individual professional and personal development. He leads valuable and transformational projects with clarity, vision, structure and tremendous energy. I would whole-heartedly recommend Ian for his knowledge, insight, approachability, enthusiasm and professionalism.

Lee Ryan, HR Consultant, Fife Council

Ian has the knack of being able to spot where the real problems/challenges are and how to address them. He has an authenticity which makes him very easy and enjoyable to work with.